The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for decoupling a hub filler from a guide arm that drives the hub filler from a single reel tape cartridge to a take-up reel of a tape drive.
Single reel tape cartridges are used to transport and store tape for reel-to-reel tape drives. A single reel tape cartridge is inserted into a tape drive and a mechanism is used to load the end of the tape into a take-up reel from the tape cartridge. Once the end of the tape is loaded into the take-up reel, the tape drive operates as a reel-to-reel tape drive. A motor is coupled to the take-up reel to rotate the take-up reel about the take-up reel axis and another motor is coupled to the single reel tape cartridge to rotate the reel of the tape cartridge about its axis.
The tape drive loading mechanism attaches to a tape leader pin, located at the end of the tape contained in the single reel tape cartridge. The hub filler uses a slot in the hub filler for receiving the tape leader pin. The hub filler is coupled to a guide arm that drives the hub filler between the single reel tape cartridge and the take-up reel. An example of a mechanism for driving the hub filler between the tape cartridge and the take-up reel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,839.
FIG. 1 is a view of the tape drive loading mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,839. The hub filler 300 enters into the cartridge 210 and attaches to the end of the tape. The hub filler 300 then moves along a guide rail 247, driven by the guide arm 250. Typically, the hub filler 300 attaches to the end of a tape in the tape cartridge 210 and the guide arm 250 moves the hub filler 300 along the guide rail 247, trailing the tape across the read/write head 222 and into the take-up reel 242. The hub filler 300 enters the take-up reel 245 through a channel 244 and into the hub 245 of the take-up reel 242.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the tape drive, depicting the hub filler 300 in the take-up reel 242 with the tape 216 attached. The tape 216 passes across the read/write head 222 and the end of the tape 216 is secured to the take-up reel 242. The tape drive is then operated by rotation of the take-up reel 242 and the single reel of the cartridge 210 about their respective axes to move the tape 216 across the read/write head 222. Motors are used to rotate the take-up reel 242 and the single reel of the cartridge 210, controlling the speed of the tape 216 as it moves across the read/write head 222. The hub filler 300 pivots on an axle 252 that is coupled to the guide arm 250. This pivoting is necessary for the hub filler 300 to be guided on the guide rail 247 into the take-up reel 242. Once the hub filler 300 is in the take-up reel 242, with the tape 216 attached, the take-up reel 242 rotates to thereby unload the tape from the cartridge 210. The hub filler 300 rotates with the take-up reel 242 on the axle 252. The loading mechanism attempts to align the axle 252 axis and the take-up reel 242 axis perfectly.
There are some concerns regarding the conventional tape drive loading mechanism described above. Perfectly aligning the hub filler""s axle axis and the take-up reel axis is very difficult to do, due to mechanical tolerances. Misalignment can cause minor imbalances during rotation of the take-up reel; these minor imbalances can create small speed variations in the tape wind and unwind speeds. These variations in speed are difficult for the motors of the take-up reel and cartridge reel to compensate for. Hence, the variations in speed deter from the quality of the reading and writing of the tape at the read/write head. Additionally, misalignment of the hub filler axis and the take-up reel axis reduce the life of the bearings in the take-up reel. Worn bearings will produce vibrations and result in noise during recording and reading at the read/write head.
There is a need for a tape drive loading mechanism that can effectively load the end of a tape from a single reel tape cartridge to a take-up reel without the vibrations or variations of the rotation speed at the take-up reel.
These and other needs are met by embodiments of the present invention, which provide a method of de-coupling a hub filler from a guide arm. The present invention eliminates the need for the take-up reel axis and the hub filler axis to be precisely aligned when the hub filler attaches to the take-up reel. The tape loading mechanism of the present invention de-couples the hub filler from the guide arm as the hub filler enters the take-up reel. As the hub filler rotates with the take-up reel, during reading and writing of a tape, the hub filler is not restrained by the axle coupled to the guide arm.
There are several advantages of the present invention. The present invention eliminates the need for the hub filler axis and the take-up reel axis to be precisely aligned as the hub filler attaches to the take-up reel. The present invention eliminates minor imbalances during rotation of the take-up reel that create small speed variations in the tape wind and unwind speeds, resulting from the misalignment of the hub filler axis and the take-up reel axis. Another advantage of the present invention is that the bearings are not damaged due to the misalignment of the hub filler axis and the take-up reel axis. Worn bearings produce vibrations that cause noise in the read/write head during reading and writing of the tape. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the hub filler can de-couple from the guide arm and still maintain the spring-loaded characteristic during leader pin attachment and during travel between the cartridge and the take-up reel. The above-listed advantages are examples, and not exclusive.
The foregoing and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.